Packing machine



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PACKING MACHINE 13 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Nov. 5, 1954 INVENTOR.' Gay/V2 .fiozzeb rake BY M44 ay 13, 1958 G. M. BONEBRAKE 2,834,165

PACKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 5, 1954 13 She ets-Sheet '7 INVENTOR; Gay .M oflbrale May 13, 1958 G. M. 'BONEBRAKE PACKING MACHINE l5 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed Nov. 5, 1954 INVENTOR.

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PACKING MACHINE l3 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed Nov. 5, 1954 .6 (H Md g m M pm mi May 13, 1958 G. M. BONEBRAKE PACKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 5, 1954 13 Sheets-Sheet 11 INVENTORL' Gary M .fiozzebmke 1 i 3G ./6 3 36' 3m a UHE y 13, 1958 G. M. BONEBRAKE 2,834,165

' PACKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 5, 1954 13 Sheets-Sheet 12 IN VEN TOR.

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PACKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 5, 1954 l3 Sheets-Sheet 13 IN V EN TOR.

FIG3 M Gay/l4 .Borzebrake United States Patent cc,

PACKING MACHINE Gay M. Bonebrake, Chicago, 111., assignor to Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application November 5, 1954, Serial No. 467,090

16 Claims. (Cl. 53- 57) This invention relates to packing machines, and more particularly to a power operated packing machine Which receives boxes and articles from separate supply sources and packs a prescribed number of thearticles into each box.

The packing machine disclosed and claimed herein constitutes a relatively general improvement of that shown in the Patent No. 1,954,842 issued-to Wille't B; Ranney-et al. on April 17, 1934, and entitled Box Packing Machine, which patent is assigned to the same assignee as this application; Ascompared-to the-machine disclosed in said patent, the structural details and'operating characteristics of which are well'know'mthe machine disclosed herein affords greater overall"operating:effi'-' ciency with less attention from an operator and less service work to keep it in operating condition; It gives rise to less waste of the handledmaterials, because of abnormal conditions and occurrences. Other and similar factors contribute to longer periods and higher percentages of effective production operations, thereby'providing larger overall output in a period of time. 'This machine also embodies improved controls for keeping its operations coordinated with other machines.- Further and more specific detail of my new packing machine and its operating characteristics will be pointed outas the description progresses;

Thus, it is ageneral object of this invention toprovide a packing machine for placing a prescribed number of articles in boxes in a predetermined-orderlyarrangement, which machine has improved operating characteristics and affords better production efficiency than former-machines of the type, while minimizing both material and time less as a result of abnormal or-unavoidable circumstances.

In the packaging of confections, and particularly those contained'in waxed wrappers, the wax and sugar dust, together with the moisture carried by the sugar dust, are materials from which machineparts, and particularly wear resisting parts such as bearingsurfaces, must be protected in order to avoid frequent cleaningand service operations. An object of this invention is therefore to provide a packing machine-adapted to use with'confections in waxed wrappers and wherein the bearingsurfaces are protected from wax and sugar dust.

Anoth'er and relativelyspecific object of this invention is to provide amachine for packing-a plurality-of relatively smallpackages into a box, which machine-incorporates structure and part arrangements particularly adapted to keeping the packages: from becoming turned or skewed, so as 'to jam or interfere with the'normal and proper flow of such packages-through the machine to the boxes.

My invention has for another objectthe provision of a packaging machine having an overload clutch responsive to the increased forces resulting from abnormalcondi- 'tions in the flow of either 'boxesorarticles therethrough and which=clutchhas associated therewith aswitch, the structure and arrangement being such that both the 2,834,165 Patented May13, 1958 2 packaging mac'hine and the machine supplying articles thereto are stopped by "the occurrence of "an abnormal condition. i

As another object, the invention has within its purview the provision of a packing machine incorporating parts and mechanism operable in sequential steps to press the box in which articles are packed and successive layers of'articles into place, therebyto insure firm packingof the articles in boxes.

This invention further comprehends the provision of -a feeler mechanism for insuring an adequatesupply of articles'to a packing machine from a supply source, which feeler mechanism incorporates a plurality of unequally spaced feeler rolls and has those rolls mounted and arranged so that in addition to insuring an adequate supply to the packingmechanism, theytend to prevent skewing or jamming of the articles during their movements to the packing mechanism.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a packingrnachine-incorporating a preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the machine depicted in Fig. 1;

Fig; 31s a side-view of the-machine, as-it appearsfrom the righthandside of Fig. 2';

Fig. 4 is aside sectional viewtakensubstantially-on-a line- 4-4 of- Fig. 1 and in the direction indicated by arrows;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a portion of the structure illustrated in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side sectional view taken substantially on a line 6-6-of Fig. 1 and in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on a line 77 of Fig; 1 and in the direction of "the arrows;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side sectional view takenrsubstantially on a line 88 of Fig. 1 and illustratinga' portion of-themachine which is connected to that illustrated in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary front sectional view takensubstantially on a line 9'9 of Fig.1 and in the direction'im dicated by arrows;

Fig; 10 isa diagrammatic view'depictingthe structural arrangement of mechanism embodied in the portionof the machine illustratedin Fig. 9;

Figs.- 11 and 12 are fragmentary front sectional views taken substantially on a line 11-11 of Fig. 1, in the direction indicated by arrows, and depicting diffe'rentopcrating positions of the parts;

Fig. 13' is a fragmentary side'sectional view'taken substantially on a-line-13-13 of Fig. Z-and in the direction of the-arrows, a cover plate being removed'toillustrate internal details of the disclosed'structure;

Fig. 14 is a side sectional view illustratinga portion of the structure depicted in Fig. 13, with the cover plate inplace andwith some ofthe parts in different operating positions than those illustrated in Fig. 13; Y

Fig. 15is a perspective view of parts of the mechanis shown in Fig. 13, with 'theparts viewed toward the faces opposite those which-are illustrated in Fig. 13';

Fig. 16 is a fragmentary side sectional view'taken-substantially on a line 16-16 of Fig. 2'and in the direction indicated by accompanying arrows;

Fig. 17 is a fragmentary side sectional view taken-substantially on a line 17-17 of Fig. 2'and in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 18 is a perspectiveaview of o'ne'type of article which the disclosed machineis adapted-to pack ins-boxes;

Fig. 19 is illustrative of a box packed with articles of 3 the type shown in Fig. 18, as accomplished by the disclosed packing machine;

Figs. and 21 are diagrammatic views illustrative of certain phases of the packing operations of my disclosed packing machine; and Figs. 22 to 31 inclusive are fragmentary side sectional views showing the sequence of operations of parts of the illustrated packing machine, as those operations occur during the placement of a box and the filling of that box with orderly rows of articles.

Considered generally, the illustrative embodiment of my packing machine which is disclosed herein is adapted to the packing of small packages, such as packages of chewing gum, in orderly rows and layers in boxes for handling and shipment. The articles, such as wrapped gum packages 35 (shown in Fig. 18), are supplied to this packing machine by a wrapping machine which serves as a source of supply for the articles to be packed. The boxes, such as 36 (Fig. 19), are supplied to the packing machine from another source. The packing machine of this invention fills, the boxes with the articles and transfers the filled boxes to an adjacent conveyor.

Considered more specifically, the exemplary embodiment of my packing machine which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings has a base 37 upon which a box type frame structure 38 is mounted. The prime mover for the machine, as disclosed herein, is a motor 39 (Fig. 2) which is secured to the frame structure near the base and at one side of the machine. From the motor 39, the machine parts are driven through a gear type speed reducer 40, that speed reducer, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, being mounted on the machine frame in alignment with the motor and driven therefrom through a flexible driving element, such as a belt 42 which provides a driving connection between a pulley 43 on the motor and a pulley 44 on the speed reducer. A pulley 45 on the output side of the speed reducer is connected through a flexible driving element, such as a belt 46 to a pulley 47 which is drivingly connected to one end of a main drive shaft 48 through an overload clutch 49; that clutch, as will be more fully explained being adapted to release, thereby to relieve the driving force on the main drive shaft 48 in the event of 'an abnormal condition in the operation of the machine, and also being adapted to manual release by an operator to stop the operation of the machine without stopping the motor 39. In the disclosed structure a belt tightening pulley 50 is adjustably supported from the machine frame 38 by an arm 52 and is urged against the belt 46 to maintain suitable driving engagement between the belt 46 and the pulleys 45 and 47 with which it is engaged.

The main drive shaft 48 is drivingly connected to a shaft 53 through meshing gears 54 and 55 which are secured to the respective shafts. From the shaft 53, driving force is also transmitted to a shaft 56 through meshing gears 57 and 58 which are secured to the respective shafts. As a result of the different sizes of the gears 54, 55, 57 and 58, it may be observed that the shaft 53 turns at a rate slower than that of the main drive shaft, and the shaft 56 turns more slowly than the shaft 53, the rates being proportional and selected to afford proper and related driving speeds for different operating parts of the machine. The shafts 48, 53 and 56 are, in each instance, journaled in suitable bearings, such as 59 and 60, on the frame structure of the machine. As shown in Fig. 1, shaft 53 has a bevel gear 62 secured thereto at one end which has meshing engagement with a bevel gear 63 secured to the end of .a cross shaft 64, which cross shaft is journaled in bearings 65 secured to themachine frame. As also depicted in Fig. l, the shaft 56 has a driving connection to a shaft 66 on the opposite side of the machine through means, such as sprockets 67 and 68 mounted on the respective shafts and connected by a chain 69. The shr-ft 66 is journaled in bearing 70 on the machine frame. Tl 'ough these different interconnected shafts, driving .4 force is transmitted to the various operating parts of the machine.

As one of the driven operating parts, the machine embodies a conveyor 72 which is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and includes a conveyor belt 73 extending across the front portion of the machine, with its opposite ends carried by pulleys 74 and 75. The pulley 74 is drivingly secured to the shaft 66 and is driven therefrom, while the pulley 75 is journaled on the shaft 53 so as to be rotatable relative thereto. Since the sprockets 67 and 68 through which the shaft 66 is driven from the shaft 53 have a one-to-one driving ratio, the pulley 75 rotates at practically the same speed as the shaft 53, but since the conveyor moves from right to left as viewed in Fig. l and the rotation of the pulley 74 is counterclockwise, as viewed in Fig. 2, the tendency is to keep the top or operating surface of the conveyor belt taut by driving it through the pulley 74 toward which the top portion moves. In addition, and further to insure the tautness of the conveyor belt, an idler pulley 76 is rotatably and adjustably supported at the end of an arm 77 (Fig. 2) carried on the machine frame at a position such that the pulley 76 engages the lower or return portion of the conveyor belt near the pulley 74, thereby to exert tensioning force to the lower or return portion of the conveyor belt. Rails in the form of metal strips 78 and 79 extend along opposite sides of the top portion of the conveyor belt 73 and are supported from the machine frame to tend to maintain articles in aligned relationship as they are moved by the conveyor.

The conveyor 72 receives articles for packing, such as wrapped gum packages, from an adjacent wrapping machine at the end adjacent the belt supporting pulley 75. Those articles are carried by the conveyor belt toward the driven belt supporting pulley 74. In order to provide an adequate supply of articles to be packed, for packing those articles in groups, a gate 80 is mounted above the conveyor belt 73 intermediate the ends of the belt, the purpose of the gate being to retain articles carried by the belt for periodic release in a sufficient number in each instance to constitute a group of articles for packing purposes. The number of articles included in a group is determined by a stop 82 spaced from the gate in the direction of movement of the conveyor belt an amount for determining and measuring the number of articles which can pass the gate during each of its periodic opening movements. The gate is, of course, supported from the machine frame.

Boxes 36 in which the articles are to be packed are moved by gravity along a chute 83 from a source of supply, that chute preferably being sufficient in length to hold some boxes in readiness for use. From the chute 83, the boxes move by gravity and individually onto a surface 84 (Figs. 1 and 6) of a pusher ram 85 for transfer thereby to a box holder 86, which box holder is aligned laterally of the belt conveyor 72 with the space thereon between the gate 80 and stop 82 in which articles are grouped in preselected. number for packing purposes. Without going into the various driving and control mechanisms at this time, it may be observed from Figs. 1 and 6 that a group constituting a predetermined number of articles 35 which is measured and confined between the stop 82 and the gate 80 on the conveyor belt 73 may be pushed laterally from the conveyor belt by a reciprocating ram 87 and moved thereby to and across a supporting platform 88 to thebox 36 which is carried on the box holder 86.

Having thus considered some of the more basic aspects of the machine, more detailed consideration will now be given to the various operational and control parts thereof. As previously mentioned, and as shown in detail in Fig. 16, the main drive shaft 48 is driven through an overload clutch 49, which clutch also has provision for being manually operated. For accomplishing the desired results in the present instance, the pulley 47 is mounted adjacent a spacing collar 89 on an end portion of the shaft 48 through a bearing sleeve 90, which bearing sleeve projects beyond the outer end of the pulley 47 and provides a bearing support upon which a clutch disk 92 is supported for sliding movement axially of the shaft. A cylindrical clutch housing 93 is secured to the exterior of the clutch disk 92 by fastening means such as screws 94, so that it is movable with the disk portion of the clutch. An inner clutch ring 95 is secured on and keyed to the shaft 48 within the clutch housing 93 and has a series of circumferentially spaced axial openings 96 therein which are aligned with similarly spaced axial recesses 97 in the inner end of the clutch disk 92. Compression springs 98 disposed in the aligned openings and recesses 96 and 97 in the inner ring and clutch disk respectively and confined therein at the ends of the ring opposite the clutch disk by adjustable screw type plugs 99 resiliently urge the clutch disk and housing 93 toward the outer end face of the pulley 47. For providing a driving connection between the pulley face and the clutch disk, a plurality of substantially conical protrusions .100 are provided on the outer clutch face, and correspondingly shaped recesses 102 are provided on the end of the clutch disk. In order to limit the number of times that the clutch can become engaged during each revolution of the shaft, the protrusions 100 and the recesses 102 are unevenly spaced circumferentially of the shaft.

In order to provide for manual operation of the clutch, the shaft 48 is axially drilled to accommodate a rod 103 which extends therethrough and is linearly movable therein. The rod 103 projects from the opposite ends of the shaft, and at its rear end has a threaded portion 104 which is threaded into a disk 105 secured to the cylindrical clutch housing 93 by a snap ring 106. A lock nut 107 is also provided on the threaded portion 104 of the rod. With this arrangement of parts, engagement and disengagement of the clutch 49 may be effected by axial movement of the rod 103 through the shaft 48.

Between the shaft bearings 59, the shaft 48 has a lateral slot 108 in which a cross pin 109 which extends through a bore 110 in the rod 103 is movable axially of the shaft with that rod. On the exterior of the shaft, a ring, 112 is mounted for axial sliding movement, and is secured to the pin, so that movements of the rod 103 effect corresponding movements of the ring 112. A switch 113 is mounted on the machine frame structure adjacent the shaft 48 and has an actuating arm 114 which is engaged by the ring 112 during endwise movements of the rod 103. The switch 113 is connected in an electrical circuit which shuts off the machine that supplies articles to this packing machine whenever the clutch 49 is disengaged.

For effecting manual operation of the clutch 49, a

disk 115 having a hub portion 116 is mounted for axial sliding movement on a stud shaft 117 which is secured to and projects outwardly from the machine frame 38, the shaft 117 being anchored to the frame by a cross pin 118 extending therethrough and into adjacent portions of the frame. The margin of the disk 115 is aligned for engagement with the forward projecting end of the rod 103, so that axial movement of the disk on the stud shaft 117 effects corresponding axial movement of the rod 103. A manually operable handle 119 is mounted for swinging movement on an end portion 120 of the shaft 117 by a cross pin 122. On its inner end, the handle 119 has a rounded cam surface 123 which is eccentric to the axis of the cross pin 122 and is disposed for engagement with the end of the hub portion 116 of the disk 115, whereby swinging movement of the handle to a position projecting outwardly from the end of the shaft 117 cams the disk 115 toward the machine frame and moves the rod 103 axially of the shaft 48, to effect disengagement of the clutch 49. When the handle is disposed laterally of the shaft 117, the biasing force of the springs of the clutch 49 returns the rod 103 and disk to normal positions andetfects reengagement of the separable clutch parts.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a hand wheel 124 is secured to the front end of the shaft 53 in front of the belt conveyor 72, so that when the clutch 49 is disengaged either manually or as a result of an overload, the machine is subject to manual operation by turning the hand wheel. The use of this hand wheel for operating the machine is convenient for making adjustments and for affording relief of parts in the event of an abnormal circumstance, such as the jamming of a box or arti cle in some part of the machine.

As depicted in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 11, 12 and 17, the shaft 56 carries a cam 125 which is secured thereto and driven thereby. This cam is utilized to effect actuation of the pusher ram 85, upon which boxes are moved from a position adjacent the lower end of the chute 83 to the box holder 86. A track 126 (Figs. 11, .12 and 1,7) is followed by a roller 127 mounted for rotation on the end of a finger 128 which projects from a bellcrank arm 129 and is secured thereto for linear adjustment by a set screw 130 which extends through a slot 132 in the end of the arm. Another arm 133 of the bellcrank extends in acute angular relationship from the arm 129, the bellcrank being supported for swinging movement relative to a shaft 134 having an axis at the intersection of the arms and being carried by a bracket 135 which is secured to the machine frame 38. Thus, movements of the roller 127 and the arm 129 in a direction radial to the cam 125, as determined by the track 126, effect corresponding swinging movements of the arm 133.

A link 136 is movably connected at its opposite ends to the extending end of the arm 133 and to the pusher ram 85 by cross pins 137 and 138. Thus, as the arm 133 is swung by the action of the cam, the pusher ram 85 is moved from a retracted position, substantially as indicated in Fig. 11, to an extended position, as shown in Fig. 12. In the retracted position of Fig. 11, the pusher ram is disposed to receive a box 36 from the chute 83. As shown in Fig. 4, a box 36 which is resting on the surface 84 of the ram 85 presents an edge which retains additional boxes on the chute 83. For retaining the boxes on the chute 83 while the arm is in its extended position, the ram has a rearward extension which presents a surface 140 against which the lowermost box on the chute rests until the chute is withdrawn to a position such as that indicated in Fig. 11, in which position of the chute, another box moves onto the surface 84 of the ram.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 11, my disclosed ram 85'has a base portion 142 which slides on a plate 143 which is carried by the machine frame. This base portion provides the surface 84 upon which empty boxes are carried from the chute 83 to the box holder 86. As disclosed, the base portion 142 has a width such that while carrying an empty box, it extends to or beyond the side surface of the box and presents an end surface 144 which serves as a pusher arm for pushing filled boxes off of the box holder 86 at the same time it carries an empty box to a position onthe box holder for being filled. By utilizing the base portion 14?- of the arm 85 to push filied'boxes from the box holder, empty boxes are not subjected to the pushing force necessary to remove filled boxes from the box holder, and crushing of such empty boxes is avoided.

As shown in Figs. 6, 7, l1 and 12, the box holder 86 has a. channel 145 therein through which the boxes pass as a result of the action of the ram 85, and in which the boxes are retained as they are being filled. Normally this channel is aligned with the ram 85 and the base portion 142 thereof passes therethrough in pushing a filled box from the box holder and depositing an empty box thereon. At the rear surface of the channel, an arm 146-is hingedly mounted on a pin 147 for limited swinging movement toward and from the rear surface of the channel. This arm is resiliently biased away from the rear channel surface by a spring 148 (Figs. 11 and 12), so that when an empty box is pushed into the channel by the arm 85, that empty box is gripped between the resiliently urged arm 146 and the opposite surface of the channel or the edge of the supporting platform 38. This gripping of the empty box serves to hold it in place on the box holder 86 while the base portion 142 is withdrawn from beneath that box.

Referring again to the shafts through which the various gripping parts of the machine are driven, the cross shaft 64 which is driven from the shaft 56 through the bevel gears 62 and 63 carries and drives a earn 149. This cam has a track 150 which co-acts with a roller 152 rotatably supported at one end of a bell crank arm 153, as shown in Fig. 6. The bell crank has another arm 154 which is disposed in acute angular relationship to the arm 153 and is mounted for swinging movement at the vertex of the arms on a shaft 155 carried by the machine frame. A link 156 is movably connected at its opposite ends to the free end of the arm 154 and to the mid-portion of a ram actuating arm 157, which ram actuating arm is hingedly supported at its lower end by a cross pin 158 carried by a bracket 159 at the front of the machine, the bracket 159 being secured to the machine frame 33. The upper and movable end of the ram actuating arm 157 is hingedly connected to the ram 87 by a cross pin 160. Thus; as the ram actuating arm 157 is swung back and forth under the control of the cam 149 and the movement of the cam following roller 152 in the track 150 of that cam, the arm 87 is reciprocated laterally of the conveyor belt to push groups of articles from between the stop 82 and gate 80 from the conveyor belt and onto the supporting platform 88. Actually, and as illustrated in Figs. 22 to 31 inclusive, the ram 87 moves through two cycles diifering in the length of ram movement during each revolution of the cam 149. This moves one group of articles to the supporting surface of the platform 88 and then moves a second group of articles into contact with the first group and pushes both groups across the platform 88 and into a box to form one layer of articles in the box. The width of the ram 87 is, of course, such that it extends across the ends of the prescribed number of articles which constitutes a group to be moved thereby.

As depicted in Figs. 1, 6 and 7, the end of the ram 87 which engages articles for moving them from the conveyor belt 73 is provided with a cap 162, which cap is mounted for sliding movement on an end portion 163 of the ram and is resiliently biased outwardly from the end of the ram by compression springs 164 disposed between the end of the ram and the inner surface of the cap. This movable cap and the resilience of the springs 164 tends to relieve the stress and damage that might be done if one or more of the articles should become jammed in the movement from the conveyor belt to the supporting platform. As also depicted in Figs. 1 and 7, a guide finger 164 is secured to the stop 82 and serves to prevent an article at the stop end of a group from moving upwardly away from the conveyor belt. In addition, as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, the supporting platform 88 has side wall portions 165 and top guide portions 166 thereon, as well as a leaf spring 167 secured to the top guide portion 166 and extending through an opening therein to confine the articles of each group to movement across the surface of the supporting platform 88 in contact with that surface.

In its movements, the operation of the gate 80 is controlled by movements of the ram 87, so that timed and sequential operations of the gate and ram are insured. As depicted in Figs. 6, l3, l4 and 15, the gate utilized on my disclosed machine includes a plurality of slides 168, 169 and 170 in side-by-side, adjacent and. substantially coplanar relationship within a housing 172 and movable from the bottom of the housing toward and from the conveyor belt 73. The slides 168, 169 and 170 have longitudinal slots 173, 174 and 175 at their mid-portions and are each mounted for sliding movement relative to rear guide surfaces 176 and 177, with the rectangular heads 178 and 179 extending into the slots in spaced relationship longitudinally of the slots to serve as guides for the movements of the slides. A plate 180 secured to the front of the housing 172 confines the slides to their operative positions within the housing.

Compression springs 182, 133 and 184 are mounted in openings 185, 186 and 187 respectively in the top of the housing 172 and are held in position at their upper ends by cap screws 188 threaded into those openings. At their lower ends, the compression springs press against angularly disposed flanges 189, 190 and 192 on the tops of the slides 168, 169 and 170 respectively to bias the slides toward the conveyor belt. Projecting tongues 193, 194 and 195 on the end flanges of the slides 168, 169 and 170 serve as guides and locaters for the ends of the compression springs. Thus, each slide is individually biased toward the conveyor belt.

As shown in Figs. 13 and 15, the flange 192 on the slide 170 has a curved and laterally projecting finger 195 thereon which underlies the flange 190 on the slide 169. Likewise, the flange 190 on the slide 169 has a laterally projecting curved finger 196 which underlies the flange 189 on the slide 168. With this structural arrangement, all of the slides may be raised in unison by pressure applied to the lower end of a downwardly projecting flange 197 on the ward the flange 192 of the slide 170. On the other hand starting with the slide 170, each of the slides may move downwardly under the biasing force of one of the springs 184, 183 and 182 without affecting any other of the slides.

For controlling the movement of the slides, I have provided a linkage which includes a bell crank 198 supported for swinging movement relative to the gate housing 172 by a screw 199. One end of the bell crank carries a roller 200 (Fig. 13) which engages the lower end surface of the flange 197 on the slide 179. The other end of the bell crank 198 has a lug 202 thereon which is connected through a link 203 to one end of a tension spring 204, the other end of which tension spring is anchored to the end of a screw 205 on the interior of the gate housing 172. This spring tends to hold the bell crank and parts attached thereto in a position such that the slides are normally disposed to prevent the movement of articles beyond their lower ends by the conveyor belt 73.

A shaft 206 carried by a bracket 207 from the machine frame supports an arm 208 for swinging movement. The free end of the arm 208 is movably connected through a link 209 to the free end of the bell crank 198, the length of the link 209 being adjustable by a turn of the muckle 210 in the mid-portion thereof. A projecting arm 211 which is disposed angularly with respect to the arm 208 and secured thereto has a curved surface 212 thereon which, as shown in Fig. 6, is disposed for engagement with an inner surface 213 on the ram 87. With this structural arrangement, withdrawal of the ram 87 to its retracted position effects opening of all of the gate slides in unison so that articles pass therebeneath on the conveyor belt 73 until the stop 82 is reached.

As the ram moves forwardly to push a group of articles from the conveyor belt, the slides are released for downward movement under the influence of the individually operable compression springs 182, 183 and 184, as long as such movements of the gates are not obstructed by some object, such as an article being moved from the conveyor by the ram. As shown in Figs. 9 and 14, it may be observed that in the disclosed structure a group of articles which is measured by the adjustment of the stop 82 and moved at one time by the ram 37 has a Width such that the last article of the group extends beneath the ends of the gate slides. With this arrangement, and with the structure as shown, the successive slides 170, 169, and 168 respectively move downwardly behind an article as it is pushed from the conveyor belt by the ram. This action is depicted in Fig. 14.

The downward movements of thesuccessive slides following immediately behind the removal of a group of articles from the belt not only prevents further articles from being moved into the space by the conveyor, but also prevents the withheld articles from becoming skewed in their positions on the belt, so that they would have atendency to jam or get misplaced, thereby to interfere with the continued normal operation of the machine. It may be observed that the curved fingers 1'95 and 196 which effect the raising of the slides 16S and 169 with the slide 170 do not interfere with the individual downward movements of the slides in their proper sequence following the movement of a group ofarticles from the conveyor belt, since they leave the slides free for such downward movement in the required sequence.

As depicted in Fig. 6, the shape of the track 150 on the cam 149 is such that it effects two' complete cycles or strokes of the arm 157 and ram 87 during each revolution of-the shaft 64. The cam track is also shaped so that the amplitude of one stroke of the ram across the conveyor belt for removing a group of articles therefrom is shorter than the succeeding stroke. Thus, as illustrated in Figs. 22 to 26, one group of articles is moved from the conveyor belt to a position on the supporting platform 88. Then a succeeding group of articles is moved from the conveyor belt and the stroke of the ram 87 is of sufiicient magnitude to push both groups of the articles across the supporting platform 88 and into a box which is carried on the box holder 86. In the disclosed machine, each box carries two layers and each layer comprises two groups of articles. Thus, the filling of a box requires four strokes of the ram 87, as shown in Figs. 22 to 31 inclusive.

In order to aid in the proper positioning of each box during the movements of articles into the box, the box holder, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, is supported on an arm 214 which has its lower end mounted'for swinging movement on a shaft 215 carried by the bracket 159. Acam 216 (Fig. 1) which is mounted directly adjacent the cam 149 on the shaft 64, and which has a track 217, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, controls the movements of the box holder in timed relationship to the movements of the ram 87. As also shown in Fig. 6, a cam follower 218 in the form of a roller is mounted on an arm 219 which is carried for swinging movement on the shaft 155. The movable end of the arm 219 is connected through a link 220 to the arm 214 which carries the box holder.

It may beobserved that the shape of the track 217 on the cam 216 is such that it effects one cycle of movement of the box holder during each revolution of the shaft'64, thereby to produce one cycle of movement of the box holder for each two cycles of movement of the ram 87. As shown in Figs. 25 and 30, the box holder swings toward and beneath the supporting platform 88 during the movement of each layer of articles into the box carried by the box holder. This swinging movement of the box holder aids in positioning the articles of each layer within the box which is being filled.

As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the supporting platform 88 is carried for limited swinging movement on a shaft 222, which shaft is supported from a yoke 223 that is carried from the machine frame below the top or article carrying portion of the conveyor belt 73. Normally, the extending marginal portion of the supporting platform 88 rests on a forward edge 224 of the box holder. This supporting arrangement permits the supporting platform 88 to move into a box as it is being filled and under the guidance of the edge of the box holder as the box holder swings toward the platform. An adjustable stop screw 225 is carried by an extending arm 226 on the supporting platform 88 and is aligned for engagement with the bracket 207 to limit the downward swinging movement of thesupporting platform 88, thereby to limitthe downward movement of the extending end of the platform.

A box and article positioning mechanism which includes a yoke 227 and a positioning finger 228 carried by theyoke is supported fromanupper portion ofthet-f ram 38 for swinging-movement relative tlieretoby a-sc'rew 229. At its lower end, the yoke- 227 has an angularlyprojecting arm 230 which is movably connected through a rod 232.to an arm 233, which latter arm is supported for swinging movement by the shaft 155 and carries a roller type cam follower 234 at a position aligned for engagement with a camsurface 235- ofa face cam 236. As shown in Fig. 1, the face cam 236 is secured to a gear 237 and carried by the shaft 64, with the. connected gear and cam journaled on that shaft for rotation relative thereto. A gear 238 is drivingly mounted on the shaft 64 adjacent the side of the cam 236 opposite the gear 237, and meshes with a gear 239 which'is drivingly secured to a short shaft 240 journaled on the machine frame. The shaft 240 also has a gear 242 drivingly secured thereto which meshes with the gear 237. These gears through which the face mm 236 is driven have a combined ratio such that the face cam moves one-half of a revolution for each revolution of the cams 149 and 216 which are driven directly by the shaft 64. The speed of the face cam 236 consequently corresponds to the speed of the cam 125. As shown in Fig. 8, the face cam 236 is shaped so that it produces three cycles of movement of the yoke 227 and positioning finger 228 during each revolution. The operation and amplitudes of movements of the yoke 227 and positioning finger 228 during the movements of the ram 87 and box holder 86 may be observed by reference to Figs. 22 to 31 inclusive.

When the ram 85 leaves a box 36 on the box holder 86, the base portion 142 of the pusher ram which pushes the full box from the box holder leaves the empty box spaced from the bottom of the channel of the box holder 86. The gripping action of the resiliently biased gripping arm 146.also tends to hold the box in the elevated position in which it is left on the box holder by the pusher ram 85. The first movement of the yoke 227' and positioning finger 228 is consequently utilized to force the empty box to the bottom of the channel in the boxholder 86, as shown in Fig. 24. After that operation, the yoke 227 and positioning finger 228 swing away from the box holder, so as to be out of the way of articles moved into the empty box by the ram 87. As indicated in Fig. 23, the ram 87 moves a group of articles to the supporting platform while the positioning finger 228 is seating the empty box on the box holder. Then, as shown in Figs. 25 and 26, the second downward stroke of the positioning' finger 228 occurs after the ram 87 has moved the first layer of articles into the box. This insures the placement of the first layer of articles in the bottom of the box. As the positioning finger swings upwardly as shown in Figs. 27 and 28, the ram 87 moves another group of articles onto the supporting. platform 88. Then, as in the placement of the first layer of articles in the box, the third downward swinging movement of the positioning finger 228 follows the placement of the second layer of articles in the box by the action of the ram 37 and insures that they are fully seated in the box; The foregoing sequence of placing and pressing articles into each box is followed by a like sequence, with the filled box pushed out of the way by the end of the base portion 142 of the pusher ram 85 and a new box placed in position on the box holder 86 by the same movement of the pusher ram. The aforementioned sequence of operations is also depicted in a somewhat diiferent manner in Figs. 20 and 21.

Considering now in greater detail the supply of articles to the boxes for packing, it may be observed by reference to Fig. 9 that in normal operation the articles 35 which are carried by the conveyor belt 73 fill a space on the belt which extends from the stop 82 or the gate 80, depending upon the stage of the operation, to a position beyond a feeler mechanism 242 which has the purpose of insuring that the supply of articles for packing is continuous and without interruption. The feeler mechanism 242 is spaced sufliciently from the gate 'ito atfordample assurance that each group of articles which is measured between the stop 82 and the gate 80 for packing purposes will include the fully prescribed number of the articles. Considered'generally, the feeler mechanismincludes an axially spaced pair of rollers 243 rotatably supported on the end of an arm 244, a single roller 245 rotatably carried on the end of an arm 246 and another axially spaced pair of rollers 247 rotatably supported on the end of an arm 248; those rollers being in substantially aligned re lationship longitudinally of the conveyor 72 and spaced along that conveyor so that they normally roll on the tops of articles being carried by the conveyor or drop into spaces between the articles. The rollers and their respective arms serve to effect actuation of a clutch 249 which stops the operation of the packing machine without stopping the prime mover of the machine in the event of any failure of supply of articles to the conveyor which would result in the placement of an insufficient number of articles in any box being packed. The clutch 249 is similar in structure and operation to that shown and described in detail in my copending application Serial No. 270,636, filed February 8, 1952, and entitled, Apparatus for Removing Slabs From a Stack and Converting the Slabs to Smaller Pieces, and consequently will be described herein only to the extent necessary to understand the operation of this machine.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 9, the roller 243, 245 and 247 are unequally spaced along the conveyor 72. That is, the spaces between the positions of engagement of the rollers with successive packages or spaces is varied in order to afford better assurance that gaps between packages will be detected and that the rollers will be lifted by the movements of packages along the conveyor after one or more of the rollers has dropped into a space between successive articles. The use of the double or axially spaced rollers 243 and 247 tends to insure that the articles will not become skewed or turned during their movements along the conveyor belt. Also, if they are skewed or turned with reference to the movements of the conveyor belt, the engagements of' the articles with the rollers will force the articles into their properly aligned positions.

The diagrammatic illustration in Fig. affords a disclosure of the mechanism contained within and supported -by a housing 250 for the feeler mechanism. As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, each of the arms 244, 246 and 248 comprises a lever including an angularly projecting portion at the end opposite that upon which the respective rollers are mounted. That is, the arm 244 is fulcrumed for swinging movement by a shaft 252 and has an extending end portion 253. The arm 246 is fulcrumed for-swinging movement by a shaft 254 and has an end portion 255. Likewise, the arm 248 is fulcrumed for swinging movement by a shaft 256 and has an extending end portion 257. Each of the shafts 252, 254 and 256 is journaled in and supported by the housing 250. The extending ends of portions 253 and 255 on the arms 244 and 246 are movably connected through a link 253, the mid-portion of which link is connected through a tie 259 to one end of a second link 260. The mid-portion of the second link 260 is movably connected to the mid-portion of a lever arm 262 by a tie263; one end of the latter lever arm 262 being hingedly mounted on the housing 250 by a cross pin 264, and the other end of that lever arm being connected to a rod 265 which extends to a clutch control pawl 266. The other end of the second link 260 is connected through a tie 267 to the extending end portion 257 of the arm 248.

The operation of the mechanism is such that if any one of the rollers 243, 245 or 247 drops into a space between successive articles on the conveyor 72, its arm is moved to swing the end portion thereof an amount suflicient to move the lever arm 262 downwardly, so as to bring a shoulder 268 on the pawl 266 into engagement with one of a series of unequally spaced stop lugs 269 on the clutch 249. Each of the rollers 243, 245

and 247 must consequently be riding on the top of an article on the conveyor 72 in order that the portion of the machine which is controlled by the clutch 249 can remain in operation. As shown in Figs. 2 and 17, the clutch 249 is mounted on the shaft 56 which carries the box feeder cam 125 and the bevel gear 62 through which the other operating cams of the machine are driven. Actually, as shown in Fig. 17, the shaft 56 is driven from the gear 58 through the clutch 249. As a consequence, the action of the clutch 249 controls the movements of all of the rams, but does not stop the operation of the conveyor 72 which is driven directly from the shaft 53 through the separate driving chain 69.

As shown in Fig. 17, a clutch disk 270 has a hub portion 272 which is journaled in a bearing 273 supported from the machine frame and has the shaft 56 rotatably supported therein by roller bearings 274 and 275 of the needle bearing type. The gear 58 is drivingly connected to the hub 272 by a key 276 and is held in place by a nut 277 threaded onto the end of the hub.

The clutch 249, in addition to having the disk 270 as a part thereof, has a ring 278 secured to the face thereof opposite the hub 272 by fastening means such as screws 279, and includes a driven clutch disk 280. The driven clutch disk is drivingly secured to the shaft 56 in opposed relationship to the ring 278 by a key 282 and fastening means such as a set screw 283. Also, the driven disk 280 has a flange 284 thereon which projects axially from the inner face of the disk and has a running fit with the inner surface of the ring 278. A control ring 285 is mounted on the outer periphery of the flange 284 between the ring 278 and the inner surface of the driven disk 280. This control ring has the stop lugs 269 integrally formed on its peripheral surface and projecting therefrom. A compression spring 286 extends through an arcuate slot in the control ring 285 and has one end abutted by a lug or pin (not shown) on the inner surface of the driven disk 280 to afford a resilient driving connection between the driven disk 280 and the control ring 285, which resilient connection provides for some relative movement between the control ring 285 and the driven disk 280.

On its inner surface, the control ring 280 has cam surfaces 287, as shown in Fig. 9, which engage an end portion 288 of a cam block 289 which is mounted for radial sliding movement in a slot 290 in the driven cam disk 2S0, thereby to force the cam block inwardly toward the shaft 56 against the biasing force of a leaf spring 292 when the control ring is stopped by engage ment of one of the lugs 269 with the shoulder 268 on the pawl 266. Such inward movement of the clutch block 289 disengages the end of the block from one of the notches 293 in the inner periphery of the ring 278, thereby to break the driving connection between the clutch disk 270 and the driven disk 280. When a lug 269 is disengaged from the shoulder 268 on the pawl 266, the compression spring 286 moves the control ring 285 to a position relative to the driven disk 289, such that the cam surfaces 287 permit the clutch block 289;to move radially under the biasing force of the spring-'292and into engagement with one of the notches in the ring 278, whereby the driving and driven disks of the clutch are drivingly connected through the clutch block 289. This clutch structure affords a mechanism by which the rams of this machine can be stopped and started with relatively abrupt action and at predetermined positions on the rams. In actuality, it is desirable to stop the rains at positions such that their respective driving cams are not facing asteep rise at the time of starting, which latter condition would increase the required starting force.

In orderj to limit coasting of the machine parts after either of 'the clutches 49 or 249 interrupts the driving connection, I' have provided a brake drum 294 on the 13 cross shaft 64, as shown in Fig. 3, which brake drum is engaged by a brake shoe carried on an arm 295, and which arm is supported for swinging movement on the shaft 155.

From the foregoing description of the feeler mechanism 242 and the clutch and pawl which respond in their movements to that feeler mechanism, it may be understood that when all of the rollers 243, 245 and 247 are raised by articles being carried along the conveyor 72, the lever 262 is raised and the pawl 26% is held out of engagement with any of the lugs 269 on the control ring 285 of the clutch. On the other hand, downward movement of any one of the three rollers produces a swinging movement of the arm which carries that roller, and thereby produces a downward movement of the link 26% in the feeler mechanism and a resultant downward movement of the lever 262, so that the pawl 266 is dropped into engagement with one of the lugs 269 on the clutch control ring.

As depicted in Figs. 2, 9 and 17, a cam 296 is secured to the outer end surface of the driven clutch disk 289 by fastening means such as screws 297, which screws extend through arcuate slots 298 in the cam to provide for adjustment of the cam position circumferentially of the axis of the driven clutch disk.- As shown in Fig. 2, the cam 296 engages a roller 299 on a movable switch actuating arm 3%, and through that arm actuates a switch 302 to control the operation of a brake having gripping elements 303 (Fig. 20) which stop a filled box, such as 36a on a conveyor 364- to provide a space on that conveyor for a filled box moving thereto from this machine. It may be understood that the conveyor 304 carries filled boxes from a plurality of machines such as that shown herein, which other machines are not neces sarily operated in timed relationship to one another or with this machine, so as to provide spaces on the conveyor belt 3% for receiving the filled boxes from each machine. The cam 296 is positioned so that it operates the brake gripping element 303 in timed relationship to the movements of the pusher ram 85 and holds the brake in its gripping position for a time sufiicient to afford space on the conveyor 304 for a filled box to be moved onto that conveyor.

The structure and operation of the machine having been thus described, it may be observed that slide bearings have been avoided in the various ram actuating parts. In place thereof, journal bearings are utilized which can be readily lubricated and which are protected from the deleterious effects of sugar dust, wax and moisture. In further considering the rams, it may be observed that the pusher ram 85 which supplies boxes to the box holder for being packed with articles also includes a part which serves to push filled boxes from the box holder, thereby avoiding pressure against an empty boxwhich might serve to crush that box or prevent its proper feeding'as a result of distorsion. In addition to providing a guide structure on the supporting platform which holds articles in their proper relationship in a group for being fed into an empty or partially filled box, an improved positioning mechanism has been provided for pressing both the empty boxes and the articles being packed into place by sequential operations. The feeler mechanism and its associated control parts have been improved to insure against the partial filling of boxes during the packing operation. Also, both the feeler mechanism and the gate structure have been improved to prevent the skewing or jamming of articles which are carried by the conveyor 72. Furthermore, an overload clutch 49 has been provided which operates in the event of an abnormal circumstance to stop the operation of the disclosed machine, and has in conjunction therewith a switch which also operates to stop the operation of an associated machine which supplies articles to this machine for packing. In these various respects and others which result from the structural parts and combinations herein described, the disclosed machine constitutes an effective and veiiiof articles into boxes and the movement of filled boxes onto an associated conveyor with a very'high ratio of operating time in a given work period and very little time loss as a result of abnormal conditions or the necessity of adjustment.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: I

1. In a machine for packing articles into boxes, the combination comprising a box holder for supporting a box during the placement of articles therein, means including a reciprocating ram for successively placing empty boxes on the box holder, means including an article conveyor and a second reciprocating ram movable relative to said conveyor and toward and from the box holder for moving groups of articles from the conveyor to a box supported on the box holder, means for driving both of the said reciprocating rams in timed relationship to one another, the last mentioned means including a clutch responsive to the force transmitted therethrough for stopping the operation of both rams in the event that movement of eitherram is abnormally resisted, a plurality of unequally spaced feeler elements adjacent the conveyor and normally engaging articles on the conveyor, each of said elements being movable into any gaps between articles as such articles pass on the conveyor, and a second clutch responsive to the movement of any one of the feeler elements into a gap between articles for stopping the operationsof the rams.

2. In a machine for packing articles into boxes as defined in claim 1, and wherein said second clutch has means on one part thereof defining stopping positions which correspond to predetermined positions of the sec ond ram.

3. in a machine for packing articles into boxes, the combination comprising a box holder for supporting a box during the placement of articles therein, means including a reciprocating ram for periodically. placing empty boxes on the box holder, means including an article conveyor and a second reciprocating ram movable relative to said conveyor and toward and from the box holder for moving articles to a box supported on the box holder, means including arms mounted for swinging movements relative to fixed axes for driving the reciprocating rams in timed relationship to one another, a supporting arm having its lower end journalled on an axis for swinging movements toward and from the conveyor in substantial alignment with the second reciprocating ram, said box holder being carried at the upper end of the supporting arm, and means for swinging the said 7 supporting arm toward the second reciprocating ram during alternate movements of the second reciprocating ram toward the box holder.

4. In a machine for packing articles into boxes as defined in claim 3, the combination being further characterized by a box and article positioning element mounted for swinging movement toward and from the box holder, and means for swinging the box and article positioning element to successively different positions in timed relationship to the movements of the said reciprocating rams.

5. In a machine for packing articles into boxes as defined in claim 3, the combinationbeing further characterized by a gate extending laterally of the conveyor adjacent the second reciprocating ram for normally preventing the movement of' articles by the conveyor into the path of the second reciprocating ram, said gate having a plurality of adjacent sections in side-by-side relationship, mechanism for. effecting opening movements of all of the sections at one time and in timed relationship to movements of the second reciprocating ram to permit the conveyor to move a predetermined number of ar- 

